Years later, the Buffalo Tri-City High School softball team is grateful for her persistence.

Jarrett recently closed the book on an exceptional season, both individually and for the Tornadoes collectively. She was their No. 1 pitcher and one of their top hitters as they went 26-4 and took the MSM Conference championship.

But given her situation before high school, it was hard to envision Jarrett going 15-2 this spring (33-5 the last two seasons), striking out 100 (183 in two years), batting .561 and driving in 42 runs (85 in two years).

In helping lead the way to another winning season at Tri-City, Jarrett is Honorary Captain for The State Journal-Register All-Area Softball Team.

“Lexie has that, ‘I'll show ‘em' attitude, even though I don't think she's ever come out and said that,” Tri-City coach Brad Sturdy said. “It's a great testament to her staying with it.”

Sturdy's praise stems from that “little” thing mentioned previously.

Keep plugging

While Jarrett loved softball back to her grade school and junior high days, she was usually one of the smallest girls who would try out for local youth teams.

“She was about 12 years old, and she'd try out but she wouldn't make any teams,” Sturdy said. “Coaches would say, ‘We really like her, but she's so small.'

“When she was in sixth grade, she did play for our eighth-grade junior high team that went to state. She was this little right fielder who batted ninth. She didn't get a hit all year, but she was one of those kids who kept working.”

Jarrett said her father, Rich Jarrett, kept encouraging her and worked with her in their front yard in Dawson. Between her dad's help and an occasional breakthrough, she said she didn't give up on the game.

“My dad was a big supporter, and my mom (Lori Jarrett), too,” Lexie said. “There was one time I tried out for a 12-under team and didn't make it. But later in the summer they needed someone to fill in.

“A friend of mine on the team (fellow Tri-City standout Kyla Haukap) told the coach, ‘I have a friend who can play.' I filled in for two weekends, and I stayed with the team the rest of the year. I even got (team) MVP after a couple of games.

“I said, ‘Hey dad, maybe it's working.'”

Growing up

Page 2 of 2 - Jarrett also benefited from a much-awaited growth spurt during which she grew about 8 inches and gained 20 to 30 pounds during her freshman year in high school.

She didn't make an immediate impact on a high school team that included standouts such as pitcher Leah Shumaker and catcher Stephanie Watkins, but she also had a growth spurt in terms of confidence.

“I think until her junior year, she still thought she was Little Lexie,” Sturdy said. “But her dad and I both told her, ‘Hey, you're not Little Lexie anymore!' Last year, you could see she was gaining confidence.”

After proving herself as a junior, Jarrett was one of three seniors on Sturdy's roster. She joined center fielder Haukap and Niantic Sangamon Valley's Courtney Thompson, an outfielder who played in the co-op program.

Jarrett said her senior status prompted her to take a larger leadership role, helping younger players including her sister and starting catcher, freshman Katie Jarrett.

Katie said getting to catch her senior sister's pitches was an exciting experience.

“I was looking forward to freshman year, knowing I might get to catch for her,” Katie said. “We give each other advice, so we make each other better.”

Little sister

Lexie said it was a bonus getting to play with Katie, who batted .400.

“There's a bond between pitcher and catcher, plus we had had a bond of being sisters,” Lexie said. “She could talk to me so easily out there.”

Lexie, also a top-10 student in her class, will play next year for Benedictine University at Springfield, where she wants to major in health science.

She's confident that Katie and the other young Tri-City players will continue the tradition. Another freshman, Payton Sturdy, is expected to step into the No. 1 pitching role next year.

She also hopes her attitude set an example for the youngsters — maybe even a girl who's on the small side and is having trouble making the team.

“I would tell them, ‘Just don't give up,'” she said. “If someone doesn't believe in you, you have to believe in yourself. Just keep working and push through it all.”